M. Theeboom

An Analysis of the Development of Wushu

Wushu, the collective phrase for the Chinese martial arts, is one of the most prominent traditional sports in China. Many other Asian martial arts (e.g. judo, karate) have originated from it. Apart from its wide variety of fighting techniques, wushu incorporates ancient Chinese philosophical concepts and religious elements. This paper analyses some of the prominent changes that have occurred in the form, content and functions of wushu throughout Chinese history. Wushus development has been distinctly influenced by changes that took place in Chinese society at large. During several periods in history, Chinas rulers have used wushu as a political instrument, thereby attributing specific functions to its practice (e.g. safeguarding public order; maintaining and developing physical abilities and fitness; promoting Chinas unity and prestige; strengthening the dominant ideology).

Socially vulnerable young people in Flemish sports clubs Investigating youth experiences

Sport appears to present a powerful tool for engaging socially vulnerable youth in an organised context, which offers an opportunity to work with them. However, we have little understanding regarding participation of socially vulnerable young people in the ‘traditional’ sport sector (i.e. sports clubs). Nor do we have sufficient insights into how vulnerable young people experience their participation in sports clubs and how they best feel supported. In order to address this question, we interviewed 50 young people and 13 key witnesses (mostly coaches, but also board members and club coordinators) within 15 Flemish (northern Dutch-speaking region of Belgium) traditional sport settings, using semi-structured interviews. Throughout the interviews we noticed that the selected sports clubs offered young people an environment where they could find support, meaning, appreciation, security and caring. The coach played a key role but was not the only factor, since his/her guidance was influenced and steered by the broader organisational and cultural context of the club. From the perspectives and experiences of interviewed youngsters we have identified some aspects that are related to the organisational context, such as first impressions/feelings when joining the sports club, differences between other sports clubs, valued experiences, motives for (non-)participation and dropout. Interviewed young people were, however, rather reserved, perhaps realistic, about popular beliefs in the power of sport to change things for the better.

Towards a Sound Youth Sports Policy in the Club

2. Developments within sports in general and within sports in the club in particular Sport is influenced by changes that occur within society. As a result of sports technology, commercialization and media attention, there is increased ’sport awareness’ in today’s society (more opportunities for physical expression, top level sport, other ways to practise sport, sport as a marketing instrument, etc.). This development can be described as an evolution towards a ’sporting’ society (Crum, 1991 ). At the same time, however,

Mediating Factors in Martial Arts Practice: A Specific Case on Young Girls

Many martial arts popular in Western countries today (e.g. aikido, karate, tae kwon do) originated in Asia. Until the beginning of the previous century, they were mainly practised in that continent. From the early 1950s onwards, Asian martial arts became more popular in the West, which resulted in a real martial arts ‘boom’ in the early nineties (Theeboom and De Knop, 1999). Consequently, in recent decades, the practice of martial arts has become popular in many countries all over the world, as revealed by several participation studies indicating martial arts’ place on lists of most practised sports (e.g. Australia: Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2009; Canada: Ifedi, 2008). Also, a study of sports participation in countries of the European Union revealed that martial arts are one of the most practised sporting activities in Europe (van Bottenburg et al., 2005). Furthermore, based on national research data on sports participation in the 25 member states of the EU, the authors found that in several countries (e.g. France, Spain, Italy, Slovenia, Poland) martial arts were among the top ten most practised sports in a club-related context.